Not that long ago, it was a sketchy proposition to go out to eat on Randolph near Clinton – and your options would have been extremely limited. Then Blackbird moved in; putting an undeniably superb restaurant in what was then an undeniably shabby part of town was a gamble that time has proven to be wise. Now, the Randolph stretch is one of Chicago’s most fertile areas for restaurant development, and right next door to Blackbird is Salero, a Spanish-inspired restaurant that served me one helluva a cod dish.
Fifty years ago, cod was a cheapo fish. It was hugely plentiful, an abundant species found in many parts of the world, the original protein in a McDonald’s filet-o-fish. Then, off the coast of Newfoundland, in what was once one of the richest cod fishing grounds in the world, the cod were disappearing, due in part to over-fishing. Cod became a less common fish (since 1985 or so, McDonald’s has advertised that the Filet-o-Fish contains North Atlantic whitefish), and thus more expensive.
Cod is a beautiful fish, and one of the most beautiful renditions of cod I’ve had was at Salero, where I was recently invited by management to have dinner. Cod is a white fish that you can break into smooth flat pieces with a fork, yet the texture is firm and the flavor, though mild, tastes undeniably of the sea in a way that other white fish, like tilapia, never will. At Salero, the cod was deliciously buttery, served on beans spiked with saffron and dressed with bacon, with some squid thrown in for texture; the beans matched the richness of the cod and the squid brought out the seafood side of the cod (which is definitely not a “fishy-tasting” fish, though I don’t have any problem with fish being fish). This dish makes one long for the days when cod was everyman’s fish, before the species became a victim of its own success and global warming. Though a recent moratorium on fishing cod in Newfoundland seems to be having an effect, it will be long time before cod populations returns to anywhere near the levels it was during the mid-twentieth century – if indeed it ever does.
Flan, the custardy Spanish and Mexican dessert, was also a kind of victim of its own popularity. Though during the early days of its popularity in the Midwest, it was undoubtedly made in-house in restaurant kitchens, it has come to be a mass produced item distributed to some restaurants ready-made. The housemade flan at Salero was enhanced with caramel and blood orange sauce, and it was both attractive and delicious.
We had a lot of other fine food at Salero – like an app of octopus, griddled chewy and caramelized, and a deliciously prepared barramundi – but it’s the flan and most especially the cod that I still think about.
From Oak Park on the Green Line to Clinton, it’s maybe a 20-minute ride and a seven-minute walk to Salero: well worth the trip.
Salero
621 N. Randolph, Chicago
312.466.1000
